I'm now only getting 31 miles a gallon ?

[J.P]

Spent most of the day driving around Kent with a bunch of the others and had to fill up a couple of times during the day. Problem is that I got the fuel light come on after just 75 miles ! That's just 31 miles a gallon, working on the basis the light comes on when 11 of the 14 litres has been used.
I Was getting easily another 20 miles before I had the bike tuned.
I even crawled into a garage not that long ago after 119 miles on fumes.

What could be causing that ? I wasn't riding the bike that hard and I know I had the wife as pillion, but I've done that before.

Help.

[gary tompkins]

JP,

I have heard moans about the lack of range on the S4R. I'm sure MCN managed to hit reserve on test in about 85 miles, so your 75 to reserve isn't that drastic. I would put it down to the S4R's smaller tank, and perhaps the fueling from the re-mapped chip still isn't spot on?

A pillion can make a surprising difference to mpg, as can style of riding.

[Gilps]

How much does your wife weigh? Has she been eating more lately? You may need to have a word with her.

Just a thought.
:chuckle:
I found my fuel consumption improved after the bike got 1000 miles on it. Oddly though the cat removal, open pipes and air box, and Power Commander improved things dramatically too. I think a lot of it was down to the PC.
I can now rag my S2R quite hard and get around 120 to the fuel light, 125 if I slow down a touch.
I think that bearing in mind the amount of power that your engine puts out your consumption isn't too bad, but no idea why it has got worse though.

[J.P]

I'll have to have a think. You're right about the wife though Gilps. I didn't help by taking her to the cafe for a bacon sandwich then to Rye for fish & chips...

[Rogerg]

That'll be your Power Commander JP.

it had a similar effect on My S4. was a small price to pay for the performance increases.

[J.P]

But how can the Power Commander make it much less efficient ?
I thought the whole point was that it made it MORE efficient & smoother.
And the Power increase wasn't massive on the S4R.
I'd almost say that outside of the 'smooth running' which is great, the power increase isn't worth doing it for.

[Gilps]

But how can the Power Commander make it much less efficient ?
I thought the whole point was that it made it MORE efficient & smoother.
And the Power increase wasn't massive on the S4R.
I'd almost say that outside of the 'smooth running' which is great, the power increase isn't worth doing it for.

It depends on how your PC is set up. Remember, it's programmable so can be set to run however you want. It's down to the skill of the Dyno guy really. When mine was set up the technician started off wth the base map, then over several runs he let the computer do it's thing and optimise it for my bike, then he overrode some of the settings based on his experience and view of what would make it better. I now get a very smooth torque curve, almost flat from 3k up to 8.5k, fantastic mid-range, and improved fuel economy.

[Zimbo]

. . . . . . . before I had the bike tuned.

What could be causing that

There's your answer.

As Gilps said, depends how your PC is set up. The Power Commander is a blank canvas, it's the loaded map that does the work. Are you running a stock map, has it been optomised on a dyno??

[JerryXt]

JP, I don't think you were riding it that hard before :D

Seriously, I get about 60 in town or maybe 80 on the road. To a tank. On an easy commute on clear roads I get 80 miles to £9.50 and the light has just started flickering on.

The most I've ever had was on the way back from Mallory where I pulled into the services at 120 because the light hadn't come on and I was worried that it had stopped working :chuckle:

[Nickj]

Anyone fancy having access repository of PC set up maps just for varients of the Monsters? Send me your maps and bike specifics that the mapping is built around and I'll put a site together.
Access would be by request to UKMOC members.
I said in another strand, if I get one map I'll set up a site.

[tetol]

have you had a race ecu fitted jp? my experience has allways shown them using far too much fuel.

[J.P]

Yep performance ECU now fitted Tetol & I suppose Zimbo is right.
For the sake of the improves ments I've lost in fuel efficiency.

The Dyno work was done by HM Racing in Orpington & they do all the dyno work for Pro Twins. I'm pretty sure they know what they're do more than I do. As for the Map, it wasn't a standard one because my bike was the first Testastretta S4R bike they've every set up so had to do all the tweeking themselves.

I guess I'll just have to have all the petrol stations programmed into my SatNav and make sure I know where they all are...

[Gilps]

Yep performance ECU now fitted Tetol & I suppose Zimbo is right.
For the sake of the improves ments I've lost in fuel efficiency.

The PC overrides the ECU so there was no need to fit. It's a shame you didn't hold off fitting it as it would have added some value to the cans if you had ever sold them on, and once fitted they cannot be reused on another bike.
I still reckon the PC should improve the fuelling though. I'm a little surprised that it's now worse.

[J.P]

You're wrong about the PC overiding the ECU on these new bikes. That's the reason the bike was having so many problems, the PC can not map the lower end of the rev range because the oxygen sensor was still attached, and whatever you did, the bike's ECU was overriding the PC, and boy we tried.

The performance Chip you can buy is programed to cut the oxygen sensor out & thus the PC can do its job. It's the only way to do it.
The long and short of it is that if you want a Power Commander fitted to the S4R or the S4RS with the Testastretta engine, you'd better just get the Ducati perfomance chip to start with, otherwise you'll end up spending a whole load more money and run into the problems I did.

[tetol]

You're wrong about the PC overiding the ECU on these new bikes. That's the reason the bike was having so many problems, the PC can not map the lower end of the rev range because the oxygen sensor was still attached, and whatever you did, the bike's ECU was overriding the PC, and boy we tried.

The performance Chip you can buy is programed to cut the oxygen sensor out & thus the PC can do its job. It's the only way to do it.
The long and short of it is that if you want a Power Commander fitted to the S4R or the S4RS with the Testastretta engine, you'd better just get the Ducati perfomance chip to start with, otherwise you'll end up spending a whole load more money and run into the problems I did.

are you going to get a remap am i right in thinking you've added the race ecu after pc and map?

[J.P]

Yes, got to get the remap done again but this time should be for the bottom end upto about 4,000 rpm, which was where the problem occured.
Shouldn't take as long.

[barbican]

Yes, got to get the remap done again but this time should be for the bottom end upto about 4,000 rpm, which was where the problem occured.
Shouldn't take as long.

JP - Have they now got some way of eliminating the O2 sensors? If not there's little they can do, any how you haven't lost much over the DP chip since I get crap MPG (which on the way back from Wessons with the link/TPS problem meant fuel light on at 65 miles!!) normally about 75-80 miles to fuel light on. The dyno shows very rich mixture up till about 4500 with the DP chip thereafter it looks OK, so I'm going to stick a PC on to improve the bottom end mixture and improve the ecconomy and range a bit. Not a cheap fix

[Pedro]

Hey JP

a few guys I know with S4RS's get p*ss poor fuel economy but they are getting proper horsepower (130+). I've not met anyone who gets better economy after the additions.

Hell, my 1000 (the ex-Fatbloke bike) only does 90 miles until I need to fill it up. That's also got a PC fitted and frankly the sh*tty economy is easily out weighed by the stonking performance!

[Albie]

I get around 120-130 to the tank on my s4 but a mate a work has an 07 s4r and he moans that the range is so poor. around 80-90 I believe

[JerryXt]

I believe the tank on the s4 is different to the S4R and Rs. The bottom profile is new for this model and the pump is new too. Maybe it has less capacity.

[gary tompkins]

Have you thought of getting smaller thighs fitted?

May cut down on wind resistance :D

[J.P]

Gary, maybe you should take one of those extra wheels you've got a put it somewhere the sun don't shine you cheeky bugger.

And Barbican, yes the new DP Chip I had fitted has eliminated the oxygen sensor so that problem with cutting out has gone. Should be getting the Dyno run soon so that will then smooth the running below that 4,500 rpm level and get the engine running as God intended.

[J.P]

Now I've got an open air filter there's a little extra room under the tank. I could tape a small bottle filled with petrol there, in case I run out. Which I'm very worried about now.

[jerry]

Before I put power Commander on my S4 it was dyno tested at 101hp back wheel , then I cored the standard pipes and open airbox and messed around with mixtures and got 108hp at back wheel, then fitted termis and got 111hp all the time averaging about 48mpg to the gallon now have a PC3 added the bike is smoother and appears to have even more horse power (not dynoed yet) estimate from tuners is about 116hp but fuel consumption is now about 44mpg average , but i also have a 43 T rear so bike is geared to acclerate madly which it does.Top speed is now only 135mph instead of 145mph but it is real world power that I fully use even in Thailand with all the bad roads and crazy obstacles.Alos I am using 95 octane fuel but may soon have to use 91 as 95 may be unobtainable. The bike seems to run OK on 91 though.

[jerry]

PS : on one long run I had to go 223 KMs(140miles ) between fuel stops as only Gasohol was available or the stations were shut Ok i was babying the bike the last 30kms but even so that was good gas mileage.

the S4r is thirstier than S4 .

My M750 gets 60mpg even when hammered.

[J.P]

All of which Jerry just makes me wonder even more about my 31 mpg .

[J.P]

Just talked to HM RACING again, and basically I'll be having a whole new dyno run & mapping done, again, not just part of it like I thought.
More flipping money getting thrown at the bike.

No way I'm telling the wife.

[jerry]

The S4r is more juicy and also more bhp than S4 (123-131hp but 31mpg seems excessive i would look for 40mpg

[barbican]

No way I'm telling the wife.

You can count on us for that:thumbsup:

[gary tompkins]

Gary, maybe you should take one of those extra wheels you've got a put it somewhere the sun don't shine you cheeky bugger.


:chuckle:

Ahh... but even with the extra wheel I still average 50mpg...

err.. driven sensibly :freak:

Have you considered a jerry can in a rucksack & length of rubber hose? :look: